Rosewall. Old school cool.

There are lot's of things that are cool about tennis.  Most of them, we've forgotten.  Believe me, I know.  I've worked with players all over the world, and tennis is big business.  A clothing business...a coaching business... a broadcasting business...a sponsorship business.

Used to be, you'd walked down to the court with your wooden racquet, a slightly flat ball, and hang around to see if anyone would hit with you.  You used to wear all white on the tennis court.  No labels.  No brands.  No distraction.    Just you, and the ball.  Tennis was not a business.  It was a game.

Some played the game better than others.  But it always had the element of simplicity.  It was "play."  There is a special kind of grace and innocence that can go with tennis that comes in the form  of unwritten childhood rules, the kind developed from using your imagination, and hours in the sandbox, or making mud pies, or at stuffed animal tea parties.  It was "tennis etiquette" that made the game simple, yet elegant...dignified.  The crowds were silent.  The etiquette unspoken.  The game, pure.

Dignity came in the form of the pros, like Kenny Rosewall shown here wearing a plain white tennis shirt. Simple. Elegant. Sophisticated. Just like Rosewall himself.

I had the opportunity to play several exhibition matches with Ken as my doubles partner.  Not only is he one of the quickest and most agile players I have ever seen, he couldn't be a finer gentleman off the court.  I played with him frequently when I was a young teaching pro in Scottsdale, AZ.  I taught with him in Hilton Head Island, SC.  Fast forward to the US Open in New York City at the Australian Consulate cocktail reception, and there he stood, walking toward me, hand open with a  smile, saying how delightful to see me again.    Talk about class all the way around.

So you want to know the thing that is most cool about tennis?  It's the people.  Good people.  I can tell you there is NOTHING better than a tennis friend.  Any match promises to be a hard scrabble fight, but shake hands at the net and its off to the pub for a pint and a good laugh.  Leave it all out on the court...no worries mate.  Let's bring that back.  Let's bring back tennis with some class.   Let's find the cool people...and put  racquets in their hands.  Let's find the white shorts...and the white shirts...and see how that top button is buttoned...?  Yeah.  Like that.  That's what I'm talkin' about.

Why Play Tennis?

I have an confession to make.  When I decided to focus on tennis, I didn't do it because I loved the sport.  In fact, at the time, I played a lot of other sports, and I was better at all of them than I was at tennis.  But at the age of 14 I decided to get more serious about my tennis game.  For one reason, at that time, it was really the only other sport besides golf that girls could do beyond the college level.  There were the Olympics, but at the time I was growing up, there were no real professional options for women except golf and tennis.  I wanted to choose a sport that I could always play, no matter what level I achieved.  Finding a pick up basketball women's basketball game when I was 58 years old, probably wasn't an option, but finding a few gals for a set or two of doubles wouldn't be a problem. So longevity was one factor.

For me, the other big motivator was that tennis was an international sport.  I loved football and baseball and hockey and played all three growing up, but as I started getting more involved with tennis, I started getting exposed to different cultures.  I remember Bud Collins talking about the All England Club of Wimbledon and eating strawberries and cream and lining up in the ticket queue.  At the age of 7 I wasn't too sure what that all meant, but I liked strawberries, and if tennis players put cream on their strawberries, well then, I wanted to try that, too.  And that's really how my love for tennis started.  As I was exposed to tennis, so I was exposed to culture and food and people from all walks of life.  When I turned pro and tried my hand at the WTA tour, I found myself in some interesting places.  One of my first big trips took me to South Africa during Apartheid.  Talk about getting a lesson in politics and culture!

Tennis has taken me to many places, and introduced me to so many people.  It has been both a vehicle for learning and a lens through which I have looked at life.  It is my hope that you will share your experiences here with me through your posts, describe what tennis has done for you, why you've played and what you've learned from this game.

As this blog expands, we will get more interactive.  I would love to hear from you and am setting up some ways to do that, including a cool new feature call "Will You Take a Look at My...?"  where you can submit a video of yourself and I will give you a personal and customized tip.  Maybe you want me to take a look at your serve, or your two handed backhand.  Each week, our producers will pick a video submission to post, and then YOU will get a free video tennis lesson posted right here.

Most of all, I hope you enjoy sharing your ideas, thoughts, suggestions as much as I like hearing them!  So don't be shy.  I've found the best people through tennis, and through this virtual connection, I hope you do too.

WELCOME TO Katie Mac's 10S.NE.1

Welcome to the FIRST EDITION of 10S.NE.1.  Your home for tennis fitness, health, fashion and lifestyle.  Let's face it, those of us who play as amateurs and for recreation know we're not going to drop to our knees on the Wimbledon grass as we cry victory in the final.  We're here to have fun.  The great thing about tennis is that you can play it at any age, at any speed, and you don't need a lot of fancy equipment or a membership to do it. But tennis, for one reason or another has lost some of its "cool factor."  It used to be you could go down to the public courts, hang around and find someone who wanted to have a hit.  Sure, everything is more complicated these days.  But tennis somehow took a turn, it became expensive and exclusive and highly competitive.  Well, our mission here is to bring it back to old school and reinstate some "cool" points.  We're going to do that by making this the first virtual public tennis center.  We'll have lots of cool features coming out, including a way for you to take a virtual lesson.  But in the meantime, I want to hear from you.  What do you think would make tennis cool again?

Some of you may know me from my TV show on The Tennis Channel. 

In CHANGEOVER we talked about unique ways to get fit, some healthy snack alternatives, great fashion tips that look good both on and off court, and how tennis helps one celebrity stay in shape!  You can check out more at WWW.THETENNISCHANNEL.COM for info and airtimes.

I will be reviewing the best new equipment, and giving you all the latest tennis hacks for tweaking your old racquet so it is just like the pros.  Watch for great new recipes and excellent workouts.  We will check in to tennis style with fun new fashions and trends.  Most importantly, we'll be a community!  That's what tennis is all about...connecting with others.  I will look forward to hearing from you, so get excited and get ready as we make tennis cool again and bring the game back to the people.


To start with, I want to remind people of an era.  The 70s.  Borg.  This is why tennis was cool.